The saying goes “Change is the only constant in life.”

This is true. Especially in the day and age we live in, with endless unstable work conditions, social restrictions, illness and personal/family challenges. It might even be a reason for a lot of people to neglect their health.

If it’s a life/death situation, put your priorities straight.

However, 80% of the time, we use inconveniences as a way to avoid doing the work we know we should. If you have a crazy busy job, and you aren’t planning on quitting anytime soon or reducing your work hours, you have to either accept things as they are, OR become ADAPTABLE to the situation you have.

Your Best New Friend – Adaptability

You need be able to flexible work with what you have, otherwise you wont succeed.

The ability to adapt your life around your priorities is what making things sustainable is about. Here are some of the challenges others and I myself deal with or have dealt with.

Working Nightshift

After beating your natural circadian rhythm you’re believably exhausted. You need to sleep. Before starting your next night shift in 12 hours, the last thing on your mind is working out. This happens day after day after day, week after week, and before you know it, you’ve missed all workouts and you haven’t meal prepped in weeks.

Constant Travelling

Perhaps due to work or for your own reasons, you have to commute and travel regularly, on weekends, or half the month. You sleep in a different place during different periods of the year. You don’t have a stable base and are living out of a suitcase for a significant portion of your days.

You Do Shift Work

You may work mornings on some days, then nights on other days. Your schedule looks something like a chessboard, where you work different periods and others you don’t. Its usually an 8-10 hour shift, and this includes variable weekends and holidays. You see your time as “working” and “off”, not as weekdays and weekends. A lot of healthcare workers I know fit in this category.

You Work From Home – Mostly

In this COVID era, a lot of people are given the opportunity to work from home. It can mean a change in your daily schedule, or perhaps you work at home 4 days a week, and go in only once a week. Your routine can change and environment can either motivate or make you lazier.

So where do you possibly workout when you have such challenges?

For Nightshift/Crazy Schedules

Workout and meal prep when you get off work, either before your nap or after your nap. Usually after because you’re probably exhausted. When you wake up, chug some pre-workout and get it done! Yes in this situation taking some supplements will come in handy. Caffeine to boost you will be well worth it in the long run. Do the workout when you wake up. That’s it.

It should be a simple effective workout that won’t drain you because exercise is itself a form of stress.

For Travellers/Changing Location

For workouts, getting a basic home workout program that needs little or no equipment, and investing in a simple skipping rope, some bands can be a great boost. If you can find a local gym with dumbbells/ barbell, great! If not, then not to worry. Use what you can and follow a home workout plan you can do just by things from your suitcase/overnight bag.

Working From Home?

Do home workouts that you schedule like you do a work meeting. It may not be the same but it’s making lemonade out of the lemons life gave you. If you can, getting a gym workout might be better because for some the change of environment is helpful and motivating.

What’s the underlying theme of these solutions? ADAPTABILITY.

You find the time where its there and decide to do it! That’s all. There’s no magic time to do workouts, no magic way to meal prep. In a life full off never-ending change, your ability to adapt and go with the flow will be your shot at winning.

The whole idea of lifestyle change is an art – of finding routines and creating good habits, but also working around the important features of your life such as your work, your children, your family etc. Those can’t be moved, and shouldn’t, however you can shift the things OUTSIDE of those things, by finding time, and learning how to adapt.

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